Oscillating headlight for automobiles



Nov. 18, 1930. H. CRAQG OSCILLATING HEADLIGHT FOR AUTOMOBILES 2 Sheds-Sheet 1 Filed Sent. 26

Nov. 18, 1930. H. CRAGG v OSCILLATING HEADLIGHT FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Sept. 26, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fxllinliilk 1v wsw r01? HERBERT CPA 6G Patented Nev. 1s, 19s0 it 1,782,290

UN TED STATES A-TBNK YT E ERB RT oimedor OTTAWA,- ONTARIO, CANADA oscI LATmq HEADLIGHT FonAUrroMoBrL s Application filed September 26, 1929. Serial No. 395,428.

This invention relates to 'in'lproven'lents in Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail showing a oscillating headlights for automobiles and manner of operating the device at the lower the object of the inventionis to provide an eiid'of the steering column. I improved manner of mounting and oscillat- Figure Bis a vdetached top plan view of a 5i'ng the headlights of an-automobile whereby lever for operating the device and a quad- 55 greater safety. in night driving may result. rant assoclatedtherewith. I

A further object is'toprovidefor the ehml- In the drawings like characters of refernation of glare caused to the drivers of two ence indicate correspondingpartsin the difapproachingvehicles and more especially to ferent views. I

. provide for the simultaneous; oscillation of In the form of the invention illustrated 6Q thetwo headlights through arcs on one side an automobileis indicated by the letterA, only of theirdead-ahead position' so that, the chassis frame thereofby the letter B, when two vehicles are approaching, the headthe steering column by the letter C, the steerlights may be thus oscillatedto direct the rays in'g 'wheel by the; letter D, the headlights by thereoftowards the ne'arside oftheroad and the letter Efand the mudguards by the let away from the approaching vehicle. I ter F. w v i A further object is toprovide' an improved According'to the embodiment of the inillumination of the near'side'of theroad durventioli illustrated a stationary member 10 ing the time the vehicles are approaching and extends across the front of the automobile 20 passing eachother. 1 from which member the. headlights'E are A further objectistopro'vide for this osclla 4 supported, Each headlight has secured ,"lation of the headlights through arcson one thereto at the'bottom thereof a member 11 side only oftheir dead-ahead position and Whichis formed with a spherical seat 12 and to positively prevent oscillationon' theother associated therewith isia'lock-nut 13 which is 25, side of their dead-ahead position} 7 formed with a ,sphericalseat 14 adapted to o A further object s to provide the invenr accommodate the spherical seat 12. A spintion in a simple and inexpensive fornrwhich dle 15, threaded at its upper end at 16 and y be r adily applied to any automobile having an enlarged head 17, extends downand the operation of-Which maybe very simwardly through the spherical seat 12 and the 30 'jplyperform'edby the driver by means quite lock-nut 13, thelock-nut having threaded en vehicle.

T 'Vaccompanying drawings infwhich,

separate and distinct from the actual'steering gagenient upon the threaded portion :16 of niechanislnand in which the oscillation of this spindle, U V 1 the headlightsis q'uite independent of any Each'splndle 15 isjournalled' within the lateral inclination of the frontiwheels of the cross member 10 and mounted thereon above k 11 and-below the cross member are ball-thrust "The invention consists inthe construction bearings 17 and '18 Below the bearing 18 l and arrangemenhall as hereinafter more each spindle15 has mounted thereonla collar particularlydescribed, and'illu'strated in the 19 securediaga nst rotat on on the spindle by '7 v i I, a 'key 20;and each. splndle has projecting 4 i 4 Figure'l is'a diagrammatic side elevation therefrom an arm 21 having a ballrend 22 of the improved apparatus applied to an the purpose of wh ch w ll be presently exautomobile, the automobilebeing indicated" plalned The: lower endof each spindle 15 e in. broken lines, 1; L 1s;threaded at 23"and-mounted' thereon is a r F'gure 2 isaplanfview thereofq' lock-nut24. Y 1

i Figure 3 iS a front end view'of the appa f collinectinglthe 31111921 of the O j tus applied to an automobile, the automobile is adistanee rod 25 which has ball andisocket itself being indicated in broken lines; Y connection with the balls 22, thlsd-istance rod Figure 4 is a vertical section through one beingoi such length'that thetwo headlights of .the headlights mounted in accordanee "wi1 e directedi g r d eh a P with the present invention, partly in section. simultaneously.

Connected to the lower threaded end 23 of one of the spindles 15 is a depending arm 26 Jo'urnalled within the frame Bis a shaft which carries at one end a pinion 31 meshing with the pinion 27 and carries at its other end a crank 32. connected through a connection 33.

Mounted upon the upper end ofthe'steering column is, a quadrant 3i and secured .to the upper end of the rod 28isa lever 3'5by means of which the rod 28 may be turned axially. The quadrant 34: is forn'iod with a stop 36 which limits the movement of; the lever in one direction. v a V It will be evident from the foregoing that by means of the lever the headlights E may be oscillatedabo ut vertical aXes'as when this lever ismoved the rod 28 is turned and through the cranks 29 and 32 and-the connection the shaft 30 is turned which causes rotation of the pinions-31 and 27 andthe arm 26 which causes turningof the-spindle-lo to turn the headlight; the other headlight being i sii-n ultaneo usly turned due to-t'heronnection lever 35 is in engagement with the stop36 the headlightswi llbe in their dead-ahead position, as illustrated in Figure 2, and movement of the lever 35- in the direction of the arrow in Figure "6 will turn the headlights to the right but it will-be impossible to turn them to the left beyond their] dead-ahead position. 7

The manner ofmounting the headlights as describedprovides for a secure mounting and also by means of the lock-nuts the degree of 'itension inthe mounting .may'be'adikusted as ClESIIBCl.

1 Theheadlights are secured-to theispindles 15 by tightening the lock-nuts 13 which drew the enlarged heads lT'downwardly so that thesphericalseat 12'is'11rressed against the spherical seat 1 i.

Asii's well known many attemptshave been made to eliminate the objectionable glare caused to the drivers of approaching vehicles and -1n-tl1e present lnstance a very effective means of accomplishing this end has beenobtamed.-

F111} ordinary driving the headlights would be in their dead-saheadposit-ion and'uponap proaching a vehicle the driver would-simply oscillate theheadlights towards uthe near side'of; the road 'and-thisjwould accomplish adouble result of removing the objectionable glare from the eyes of the approaching driver and wouldalso very greatly improve the illumination of the near side-of the road The cranksi- 29 and 32 are 3 lights on-the-other side of their dead-ahead position which would be very undesirable.

\V'hile I 'have"illustrated one particular manner of operating the headlights it is of course obvious that other equivalent means might be employed.

Theinventioniis of course equally applicableto countries in which driving is done on the left hand side of the road as to those inwhich it is done on the right hand side. In the former instances the headlights will be constrained to oscillate on the left hand side of their dead-ahead position whereas in the latter case they will be constrained to oscillate on the right hand side of their deadahead position.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the invention provides an improved apparatus of the type described whereby the objects set forth have been attained.

7 Various modifications maybe made in this invention without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope'ofthe claims, and there- 'fore the exact for-ms shown are to betaken as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense, and it is desired that only such limitations shall be placed thereon as are disclosed inrthe prior art or are set forth in the accompanying claim.

-What I claim as my invention is Thecombination with the headlights of an automobile, of spindles secured to the bottoms lthereof, projections on said spindles and a tie rod-joining said projections, an arm secured to and depending from one of said spindles and having a pinion secured at the bottomthereof, a shaft mounted on the chassis frame of the automobile and having a pinion secured at one end thereof meshing with said first mentioned pinion, said shaft having-a crank connection with a shaft on the steering-column of the automobile and means :for permitting rotation of said last mentioned shaft to one side only of the position it'assumes when said automobile headlights areat dead center.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

' 'HERBERT CRAGG. 

